Foot-power



(No Model.)

J. E. ADAMS. FOOT POWER.

No. 415,431. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

WITNESSES IIVVE/VTOI? v ATTORNEY N. PETERS. Pholc-Lnhcaraphcn wanmn wn, n. c.

' UNITED STATES JAMES l.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADAMS, OF OCEAN BEACH, NE\V JERSEY.

FOOT-POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,431, dated November 19, 1889.

Serial No. 304,797. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. ADAMS, of Ocean Beach, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Foot-Power, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to foot-powers, the object of the invention being to provide a simple, cheap, and durable power, and one which may be run with a minimum amount of exertion.

To the end named the invention consists, essentially, of the novel constructions, arrangements, and combinations of elements to be hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side view of my improved foot-power, the power being shown in connection with a jig-saw, of which the frame is represented in section. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 11 II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of the drum and its connections; and Fig. 4 is a side view of a portion of the power, the parts being represented as they appear when the grip is bearing upon the wheel, the view being taken in the position in which the arrow at is shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 10 represents a shaft, to which there is rigidly connected a drum 11, having two bearing-faces a and d. To the bearing-face cthere is secured a belt or band 12, that extends to a treadle 13, while to the bearing-face (Z there is secured a belt or band 11, which extends to a spring 15. To the other end of the drum 11, I connect a plate 17, to which plate there is pivotally connected a gripping arm or lever 20, which carries a shoe 21, that overlaps the peripheral face of a driving-wheel 22, that is loosely mounted on the shaft 10. The lever 20 is braced by a link 23, which said link is pivotally connected to the plate 17, the other end of the link being slotted, as shown at e, to engage a stud f, carried by the lever.

Although not positively essential, I greatly prefer to form the lever 20 in sections it and i, said sections being united by a hinge-joint 7c in a manner such that when the shoe is thrown off from the peripheral face of the wheel, as will be presently explained, the lever will straighten out; but when the shoe bites upon the face the lever-sections will rock upon their hinge-connections, the parts assuming the position in which they are shown in Fig. 4, this arrangement providing for a better grip and a more advantageous leverage, as will be readily understood.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings I have represented the wheel 22 as engaging a pinion 24., which controls a crank that is connected with the lower member of a jig-saw; but it will of course be understood that this is a mere illustration of the adaptation of the power.

In operation a reciprocating motion is imparted to the treadle 13. Then as the treadle is forced downward the belt or band 12 will be drawn upon and the drum 11 will be rotated, as indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. 1, the belt 14 winding at this time upon the drum, and as the drum moves, as indicated, the grip will be brought to bear upon the peripheral face of the wheel 22 and the wheel will be rotated in the direction of the arrow. When the pressure upon the treadle is relaxed, the spring 15 will reverse the direction of the drum, and as the direction of the drum is so reversed the grip will be thrown up from engagement with the wheel 22 and the belt or band 12 will be wound upon its drum-section.

\Vhere a large driving-wheel-such as the one shown in the drawings-is employed, a balance-wheel might be dispensed with; but otherwise I would connect a balance-wheel to the drive-wheel hub.

Although I have described the drum 11 as being rigidly connected to the shaft, and the wheel 22 as being loosely-mounted thereon, it will of course be understood that the wheel might be rigidly connected to the shaft and that the drum 11 could be loosely mounted thereon.

By connecting the driving-belt 12 to a drumsection of greater diameter than that to which the belt 14 is secured I provide for an increased leverage, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a shaft, of a drum rigidlyoonnected thereto, a drivingwheel loosely mounted on the shaft, a plate secured to the drum, a lever pivotally connected to the plate, a link also pivotally connected to the plate and loosely connected to the lever, a shoe carried by the lever and arranged to engage the driving-wheel, bands connected to" the drum, a treadle to which one of the bands is connected, and a spring to which the other band extends, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a shaft, of a drum rigidly connected thereto, a driving -wheel \Vitnesses:

ROBERT C. BUHLER, CHARLES C. 001). 

